The only thing left to do is open the case of my Dell XPS 8700

I started to realize that I have need to run some VM on my Dell XPS 8700 desktop, and that means I need more than my current 8Gb of memory.  So the question is: what memory to get?

Checked Crucial web site, and I found out that I need:

• DDR3 PC3-12800
• 240 pin (for desktop)
• 1.35/1.5V (more later)
• 1600 MHz

With these detail information, the next thing to decide is: Getting one 16Gb or getting two 8Gb?  Technically, I can install one 16Gb, and later install one 8Gb thus max the 32 Gb memory limit.  The problem is that there will be some serious performance penalty.  So at the end I decided to stick with getting two equal 8Gb DDR3 memory, and later one, if I REALLY need to get that extra 8Gb, I will just buy another pair of 8Gb.

So the final question is: should I get 1.5V or 1.35V memory.  If the one already installed in my machine is 1.35V, then I should go for 1.35V in order to match with everything.  Since I don't have any documentation that says it in definitely, So the best way to figure is out is probably by opening the case.

Here's more info about DDR3L.

For 1.35V one, this sounds like a good option.

For 1.5V one, this seeems fine.

Continue to struggle with eSATA

Previously I THOUGHT Setting the system to boot using UEFI legacy boot will make my eSATA harddisks show up properly.  Well, I was WRONG. Both the eSATA harddisk DISAPPEAR frequently even with UEFI legacy as the boot setting.  That really frustrated me.

So I am now going back to the UEFI secure boot.  Interesting enough, I found the eSATA shows up!  But then after a shutdown, and start up again, boo, the disks are gone again.  But wait, that's not the end of the story: if I restart the machine (instead of shutdown and then start again), those eSATA harddisks show up again!

So I guess I just need to figure out a PATTERN that actually work.  Very annoying, but then at least there's some hope.

VMware and USB 2.0 harddisk dock

I am trying use my USB 2.0 External harddisk to host VMWare VM, and found that it didn't work well.

First I tried my Cavalry dual slot USB 2.0 harddisk dock, and found that I frequently got error, saying that it couldn't access the disk file.  So I was thinking, damn shit Cavalry .

BUt then I tried blacX USB 2.0 (with eSATA slot) dock in USB 2.0, and while it survive for longer time, eventually it had the same access problem.

So now I am using blackX in eSATA mode, and see if I have better luck.

BTW, I am using VMWare Workstation 10.

UEFI and eSATA Card

Gotta say I didn't have much knowledge about UEFI.  All I know is that on the Dell XPS 8700 I brought last year, UEFI Secure boot was set as default, and I just kept using it.

However, I was forced to know a little bit more about it.

It started when I was messing with my broken Dell Dimension workstation I brought back in 2007. I found that almost NOTHING from this workstation that I can reuse in the newer Dell XPS 8700 workstation EXCEPT a PCI Express based eSATA card.  So I installed it on my XPS 8700 and found that it was NOT being recognized.

After spending almost 2 hours to keep looking around, I finally decided to give one thing a try: change the boot setting from UEFI Secure Boot to UEFI non-secure boot.  And BOOM, after I made that setting change, I was able to see the eSATA BIOS menu showing up, and sure enough the 2 eSATA ports were working, and I was able to use my eSATA harddisk dock.